Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-01-19

in the districts for the year were 81.
476, T9I.e9. The expenditures were 49,
S49.Ol7.50. -,
The high schools Of the state are al
IN a prosperous condition. The per.
manent fund of the university now ag.
gregates Sill ,2I0 92; that of the Normal
school, So, 20S.2l: and that of the Ag-
ricultural college, S5OI .OS6 30. All OF
these funds will be somewhat incre ased
by sales of lands belonging to them.
The permanent school fund now az.
Gregates 81 ,O6l ,SS7 SO, of which amount
S4,OOl ,S27 .O5 is invested In interest bear.
ing bonds. This total, no viewer, in
cludes $1,000 IN bonds Of school districts
Of ComancDe county. $3.50 or Norton
county, $4,000 Of Rice county, all of
which are supposed 10 he fraudulent.
The penitentiary is crowded beyond
its capacity, having 954 prisoners and
only 200 cells. 1t continues to be self
sustaining.
The supreme court docket is so crowd
ed that there is no hope of the judges
ever getting up with the business. The
governor recommends that the law be
amended 80 that no civil case where
the judgement rendered is less than
$50 be prosecuted by writ of error in
the supreme court. One-fourth OF the
cases in the supreme court are of this
class. lie would have the judgment of
the district court in such cases final
except III matters affecting land, reve-
nue. or the cOnStru ctiOn of the constitu-
ton; and he would give the district
court authority in all cases to certify
up TO the supreme court the law Ques-
ton in dispute without transmitting a
complete transcript. He recommends a
general redistricting of the state into
judicial districts. While some of the
district judges have abundant leisure
others are crowded and cannot keep
their docket clear.
lie thinks the divorce laws should be
amended so that citizens of other states
cannot come here and take advantage
of the abandonment for one year,
clause.
lie believes that the election laws
should be amended; stringent laws
should be enacted to prevent the circu-
lation of fraudulent tickets; no man
who cannot read and write should be
judge of election. lie thinks that the
township officers should be elected in
the spring, as there is general dissatis-
faction in having the township and
state elections on the same day.
He renews. the recommendations
made in his messages of 1885 and 1885,
touching the improvement of our public
highways, rates of interest, offices of
Kansas corporations, the revision and
codiication of the entire body of our
laws, the fees of public officers, the law
abOlishIng capital punishment, the as
sessment of improvements by occupy
ing claimants, and the submission of an
amendment to the constitution striking
the word white" from section ! of
article 5.
After discussing the prohibition law
and deciding that it lessons intemper.
ance, he asks the legislature TO enact
laws that will make it more certain of
enforcement. The following are his
suggested amendments:
First-The authority it vests in pro-
bate judges is arbitrary, and may be, as
in some cases it has been, abused. If a
probate judge grants druggists per-
init to a person of bad character, any
citizen should have right to appeal
from the judges decision TO the district
court, and show that such permit
should be revoked. And, on the other
hand, if probate Judge refuses per-
NIT TO druggist of good character, the
druggist should have right TO appeal
in his own behalf to the district court,
and show, if he can, that he has been
unjustly Disseminated against.
SecOnd-Instead of the statements
now filed, in purchasing liquors for
medical, mechanical or scientific pur-
poses, an affidavit should be required,
and druggists should be authorized to
administer oaths. Severe penalties
should be imposed on any one who
makes false affidavit for the purpose
of procuring liquor, and on druggists
who fail to return to the probate judges
all afiidavits fled.
Third-rrobate judges should be al
lowed fixed sum for the services they
are required to pefOrm under the prohi
bition law, and should be prevented,
under penalties, from collecting the fees
they now collect on statements filed.
The attorney general holds that this fee
OF five cents on statements filed is illeg-
ally charged. but it has been demanded
and paid, in nearly every county of the
state, under species of dureSs, the ar
bitrary powers, lodged in the hands of
probate judges, enabling them to en-
force collection without serious reSis-
lance. The large sums thus collected
have, too, tempted the cupidity of pro-
bate judges, and in many instances,
have brought about loOseness in the
granting of permits that has enabled
men who had no practical knowledge of
the drug business, and no intention of
engaging in a legitimate drug trade, to
establish sO-called drug stores, which
are merely liquor stores in disguise.
This class of drug stores ought to be,
and can readily be, abolished.
FOurth-The authority of the state
board of pharmacy should be enlarged,
and all druggists should be required to
obtain a certificate from that body be-
fore they can obtain permits from the
probate Judge. AS class, the drug
giStS of Kansas are as honorable men as
are those engaged in any other legiti-
mate business. They are as earnestly
anxious as any other citizens can be to
purge their profession of those who are
discrediting it by selling liquors for I'M
lawful purposes. And, acting through
a representative board of their own pro-
fessiOn, they can be relied upon, be-
lieve. to cooperate with and promote
the work of driving out of the drug
trade those who are degrading it by vio-
lating the laws Of the state.
He further believes that some legal
machinery should be provided to fill the
requirements of the constitution which
rests in the governor the power to 'see
that the laws are faithfully executed"
At present. this provision of the cOnsti-
tuition is a dead letter, for no authority
has ever been conferred on the governor
to compel the local officers, who alone
are entrusted with the enforcement of
the laws to do their duty.